5 ways that hospitals are staying hygienic during COVID 19

The COVID19 outbreak has put a huge strain on hospitals and resources and has forced every practice across the UK to resort to extreme measures.

Keeping hospitals hygienic is essential to limit the spread of the disease and maintain good health for those that are being treated with COVID19 conditions.

We explain how hospitals are keeping on top of cleanliness during the coronavirus outbreak.

• Topping up cleaning staff

A number of hospitals have been reaching out and adding new cleaning staff to their roster. Not only do they require more cleaners during this frantic time, but they also need to find fast replacements in case their existing cleaning staff fall sick, need to care for family members or go into self-isolation.

Preston and Chorley hospitals have already done a big push for more cleaning staff, with any new recruits given new training and promise of a flexibility work schedule.

• Distancing and limiting numbers

Hospitals are practicing social distancing, like any other high traffic area, and this includes distancing of beds and patients in their wards.

Numbers have been significantly limited in terms of visitors, or in some cases completely prohibited.

At Barnet Hospital in North-London, any maternity patients are not permitted to bring any spouses or family members during appointments or during birth, much to the disappointment of many expectant parents.

• Staying stocked up

Hospitals have had to stay stocked up on all cleaning supplies including liquids, hand gels and cleaning supplies.

To meet their demands, Watford Hospital has been using the washing machines at Watford FC to clean the scrubs of the nurses and to ensure they are always clean.

Elsewhere, Yorkshire Ambulances reached out to local businesses asking them to find ways to clean ambulances quicker and more effectively.

• Made with hygiene in mind

Any hospitals and places of hygiene today must be built or upgraded to ensure that all surfaces are made with hygiene in mind.

Hygiene supplier, Trovex, provides hygienic panels, walls and surfaces for clinics such as the Royal Free and Royal Brompton – where any surfaces are made at high temperature and vacuum bonded to make themselves impermeable to any bacteria. These smooth and futuristic surfaces are essential to reduce the spread of infection, compared to using tiles or traditional surfacing.

• Putting the infected in self-isolation

Like all other businesses still operating, any staff members showing symptoms of COVID19 are encouraged to isolate for up to 14 days and reduce the spread of the infection any further. This may include anyone who is living with a person who is showing symptoms too.